Occupy leaders don't mention coincidence, focus on next steps

More than 20 Occupy Cincinnati
protesters were arrested last night just hours before a morning
parade was scheduled to celebrate the life of local billionaire Carl
Lindner, who died on Monday. The Enquirer's homepage this morning includes a
lengthy account of the arrests and reactions by Occupy, along with a
live feed covering the parade, which was to begin at Great American
Ball Park and end near a Kenwood restaurant where Lindner enjoyed
eating.

Lindner supporters gathered at various
locations along the parade route, including dozens of Cincinnati
Police standing outside District 1 around 9 a.m. Students stood
outside a school on 9th Street singing songs about going to heaven.
(Occupy Cincinnati representatives have not acknowledged the
correlation.)

Meanwhile, protesters were still being
processed and released from the Hamilton County Justice Center this
morning after paying fines that reportedly ranged from $150 to $600.
The arrests were peaceful, as protesters had been trained on how to
peacefully interact with law enforcement, according to a spokeswoman.

Lt. Jay Johnstone told The Enquirer
that the park was closed this morning because the city wants to clean
it. Protesters say the movement will go on and that it will have its
regularly scheduled meeting tonight.

We are understandably upset that the
city has decided to arrest some of our members. From the first day we
gathered, we have been completely peaceful and as accommodating as we
could possibly be. We have maintained an open and honest dialogue
with the Cincinnati Police Department and other city officials
throughout our occupation, and have praised their professionalism on
many occasions. Just two days ago, Cincinnati Police Chief James
Craig stated, “This is one of the more peaceful groups I’ve had
an opportunity to meet with in a protest.”

We are a group of regular Cincinnatians
who seek only to voice our political opinion by occupying a public
space and discussing what our grievances are with our government. We
aren’t a threat to anyone— we hold signs, we occasionally chant,
we have marches, we hold rallies, we talk to each other and the
public about our views, and we ask our government to listen to us and
respond. And we are happy to share the park with others — it’s
their park, too!

Yet for reasons unknown at this time, a
decision has been made today to eject us from Piatt Park. During
difficult economic times, our limited city and law enforcement
resources are being used for THIS-- not to pursue murderers, rapists,
large financial institutions who are unlawfully foreclosing on
private citizens’ property, or corporations who commit fraud
against their customers and the public in the name of bigger
profits-- but to come after US. Whether that is a good use of our
resources is an issue for voters to decide.

We aren’t hurting anyone, except
maybe those who are threatened by our message that the richest 1% of
our country are controlling our government and our financial system.
So while we are upset by today’s developments, we’re not the
slightest bit surprised.

In spite of the mounting physical,
emotional and financial costs, we are not leaving, and we will not
stop protesting the co-opting of our government by a privileged few.
We believe the future of our nation and our city is worth it, and we
encourage other Cincinnatians to see the truth and join the fight.

Some of Occupy Cincinnati’s members
and supporters will have more to say tomorrow morning at 8am on the
sidewalk next to Piatt Park. Please join us then to show your support
and make your voice heard!